History of Park Farm.

The History of Donington Park Farm House Hotel spans more than 400 years. Read into our History and learn more about our seventeenth-century Farmhouse.

The road outside the Farmhouse was called The Redway, and the house was built as Redway House, appearing on the Saxton map of Derbyshire in 1576.

It was part of the Donington Estate, sold by Queen Elizabeth in 1595, and purchased by Sir George Hastings (it was a Royal deer park from the 12th Century).

In about 1720 the brick Barn buildings were all added, the house was extended and became Park Farm.

In the 1790s, Wilson Lodge was built at the back of the house in the Gothic style and became the third entrance Lodge to Donington Hall.

Wilson Lodge (the part of the Hotel behind the stone wall) was a gated entrance.

A bell pull was installed at the top of Isley Walton Hill, and the gatekeeper had just enough time to pull his boots on and open the gates before a carriage approached, on its way to the Hall. The Army built a new road to by-pass the Lodge during the second world war, and this is now the Caravan Site entrance. In 1988 the Lodge was rebuilt entirely and also joined on to the Hotel by the current owners. The front stone wall was also straightened so that the Lodge could no longer serve as a point of entrance.

The Threshing Barn is entirely original, except for its doors. Those at the front have century it was used as a place to preach to the local farm workers by John Wesley, who, with his brother Charles, was sponsored by Lady Selena Hastings. She also used oak from Donington to build chapels in Spa towns and other fashionable centres in the somewhat flawed idea of trying to convert the wealthy to Methodism.

In 1877, John Shields was appointed land agent to Lord Donington, who died in 1895. The Estate, along with its history, was eventually purchased by the Shields family in 1926, and many of the farm barns were converted into pig stys. An army building was added during the second world war, and this is now used for Wedding Breakfasts. The first wedding party was held in 1984, and in 1986 the Farmhouse was converted to a four been shortened, and the rear doors have been replaced with an alcove in the 18th bedroom Guesthouse. The Hotel and its history has continued to develop ever since that date, with alterations being carried out over each winter period.